Carp - If you can’t beat em, eat em!

Growing up and fishing around Canberra the first carp recipe I ever heard was as follows. 

Place a fresh carp fillet in a pot of simmering water. Add a small round stone from the river and simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.  Remove the carp from the pot and discard.  Serve the hot stone.  Since then, I’ve heard a similar joke involving a plank of wood.  Needless to say many Australians don’t think much of carp as a table fish.  A couple of recent experiences however suggests that we’ve been far too quick to dismiss carp as a dinner option.

A favorite amongst Vietnamese Australians, carp are enthusiastically fished and farmed in Vietnam.  I’ve just returned from an extended stay in Hanoi and every afternoon the ladies at our local markets sold fresh carp steaks.   Seafood restaurants had aquarium tanks full of carp where you could choose the fish you wanted to eat for dinner.  The steaks were plunged into a simmering hotpot of rich tomato soup and spices. Served with some wilted greens and noodles, I’m happy to admit it was quite nice, although the soft texture and small bones detracted from the experience.  I guess it’s an acquired taste.

There is another method of preparing carp though, one which guarantees a great tasting meal.  At a recent carp fishing competition in Boorowa, Keith Bell, of K&C fisheries, cooked up some carp for hungry anglers.  Keith didn’t hide the fish in a rich curry sauce or strongly flavoured soup.  Instead, he rolled small pieces of carp in flour, salt and pepper, and fried them.  As the locals tried it, eye brows were raised and jaws dropped.  They were delicious.  Before long, he couldn’t keep up with the line of young children asking for second and third helpings.

The way Keith prepares the fish is really important, starting with respect for the fish.  Once caught, immediately plunge the fish into an ice slurry to euthanize it and prevent the build-up of histamines and other stress-response chemicals.  Similar to tuna, these chemicals cause a strong and unpleasant taste. 

Back at home, fillet the fish as you would any other ‘round’ fish like a salmon, cutting around the rib cage.  Skin the fillets and then carefully remove the white flesh that covered the rib cage and belly.  A second piece of white flesh can be cut from across the shoulders. The white flesh has no bones and a mild pleasant taste, lending itself to dozens of recipes.  If the strongly flavoured and bony red meat doesn’t appeal to you, I’m sure the family cat will happily scoff it down. You’ll save a few dollars on tinned cat food and keep a handful of pilchards swimming in the ocean. 

Carp now make up 70-90% of the total weight of fish in most of our freshwater rivers and lakes.  The good news is that two average-sized carp, prepared as above, can feed a family of four.  If we all ate fish for dinner just once per week, we could take an estimated 600 million carp out of our waterways each year.  Who knows, a concerted fishing effort in one stretch of river might just tip the balance back in favour of our native fish.

If you can’t be convinced to eat carp just yet, take them home for bait, cat food, or fertiliser.  Please don’t leave them on the bank.  After a day or two in the hot sun they smell terrible and ruin the spot for everyone else.  But if you’re a tiny bit adventurous, give the preparation techniques above a go.  Or even better, try serving carp at your next BBQ - just don’t tell your friends what type of fish it is until they’re asking for a second serve.

See you on the flats!
Graham Fifield
Flick & Fly Journal

Acknowledgment: If you can’t beat em, eat em! was the title used by the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority for their community awareness and carp recipe competition.  Detailed filleting instructions with photos can be found on Keith’s website: www.kcfisheries.com.au and a video is available by searching “how to catch, prepare and cook carp” on Youtube.